Internal-combustion engine



A. E. OSBORN.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19. 19I9.

L41 9,51 0 Patented June 13, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Ill/4 INVENTOR KWM ATTORNEY A. E. OSBORN. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19.1919.

1 ,41- 1 9, 5 1 Q 0 Patented. June 113, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' INVENTOR ATTORNEY entrant cranes.

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antennae-commenter? Enema.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Patented June 13, 1922.,

Application filed April s, rare. serial no. 291,418.

' tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formlng a part thereof.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and its object is to improve-the mechanical construction of said engines in order to increase their strength and efficiency. It relates more particularly to engines of the type in which the valve or valves are located within the cylinder and between the side of the piston and the adjacent cylinder wall and the special aim of the invention is toeliminate the side thrust of the piston with the consequent binding action on the valve or valves usually resulting therefrom. v

Another object is'to provide a construction which will enable the use of a shorter valve or valves and which, by reducing the heating efi'ect on the parts, will permit the use in larger engines than-has heretofore been. possible of the valve or valves within the cylinder. A still further object is to provide a guide for the part of the piston with which the connecting rod is connected, of such a form as to permit of the use of a long bearing pin so positioned as to be removed from the heat of the combustion chamber. Another object is to so arrange the parts as to provide for more effective lubrication thereof.

These and other objects of the invention will appear in the following specification in which I will describe the invention, the

novel features of which will. be set forth in appended claims.

Referring tothe drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an internal combustion engine which is made according to and embodies this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of parts of the same engine illustrating the manner of positioning the sleeves for insertion .or removal. The section'in this figure is taken on the line 2-'2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan'view on the hue 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a moditied-form of this invention applied to an en'- gine having a type of valve mechanism similar in principle of operation to that shown and described in my Patents Nos. 985,198 of Feb. 28, 1911 and 1,279,578 of Sept. 24, 1918.

trating a modified form of construction of these parts.

Figure 7 is a sectional elevation of certain parts of modified construction showing an arrangement for guiding parts of the sleeve actuating mechanism. 1

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all ofthe figures of the drawings.

Feferrin first to the form of engineshown in lgures 1, 2 and 3;

1O designates the cylinder of an internal combustion engine and there are two sleeve valves therein designated by 11 and 12. The casting which forms the cylinder is extended downwardly to form semi-cylindrical guides 13 in alinement with and preferably of the same diameter as the cylinder, and two diametrically opposed pockets 14:.

The piston comprises a pressure'head 20 within the sleeve '12 and of sufiicient thickness to carrysealing rings, a guide head 21 within the guides '13and an intermediate connecting portion 22.

The guide head may; have, two spaced parts 23 and 24 machined to the diameter of the guides 13, and an intermediate portion 25 of somewhat smaller diameter. The sides thereof adjacent the pockets 14 are extended at 26 to afl'ord a long bearing. for the connecting rod pin 27. The connecting rod is designated by 28 and is connectedwith the crank shaft in the usual manner.

The sleeves 11 and 12 are actuated fro a crank shaft 30 with which they are connected by rods 31 and 32' the upper ends of but which by rotating the sleeves slightly,

to keep t in opposite directions, may be crossed over each other diagonally as shown 1n Figure 2,

in which case they may be passed through I either one of the pockets '14 in assembling the engine or in taking it apart. Before specifically describing the structures shown in the other figures of the drawings, I will describe the operation and polnt out some of the advantages of the apparatus illustrated in these first three figures. In the first place the pressure head 20 may be very short as it and the guided head 21'keep it always in axial alinement with the cyl nder. Thus the mass of that part of the p1ston which is subjectedto the heat of combustion is reatly reduced so that it is easier he piston and the sleeves cool.

Then the guides take up all side-thrusts due to the eccentricity of the crank pin and this eliminates side pressure of the piston against the sleeves and of the sleeves against the cylinder walls. This of course reduces the friction of these parts to a much greater extent than is friction added to the machine at the guides 13. Moreover the slde thrust of the connecting rod. is transferredfrom inaccessible and more or less delicate parts of the mechanism, to parts which may be more readily reached, and which may be liberally proportioned for performing nothing but this one function. The connecting rod pin 27 may be made longer than'the diameter of the -piston,-in fact it may be made as long as desired so that a longer and better wearing construction for the connection of the rod 28 with the piston is possible than with formerly known designs. The guides 13 and. the connecting rod bearings are removed from the heat of the combusterfere with as in this case the sleeve 17 does not have to pass between the guides or through the pockets; This construction has the advantages of the construction of Figures 1-3 and the additional advantage that it permits the renewal of the guide surfaces without replacing the cylinder. This separation of the guide from the cylinder also enables these two parts being made of different materials, best suited for these special purposes. Also the pressure head of the piston and the valve parts can be separated from the base of the engine.

In this case the sleeve actuating shaft 3 forms the guide is cylindrical as shown at 13 and so is the guide head 21 which fits it.

Figure 7 shows an arrangement for furnishing a guide between the sleeve actuating shaft 30 and the sleeve 17. The member 15 is constructed as before to form the guides 13 but is further constructed to form parallel therewith, other guides 19. A rod 36 connected with the sleeve has an enlargement 37 which runs in these guides and which is connected by a rod 38 with shaft 30.

This invention may be used with other types of engines than those shown and described. While it is my present belief that its greatest advantage is with engines of sleeve valve types it is obviously of similar advantage with such engines as those in which the valve forms a part of the wall of the cylinder or is a crescent shaped segment bearing upon the pressure head of the piston or the rings thereof and within the cylinder wall. It is possible to make many variations and modifications of construction without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention, and I intend no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft, a piston having a pressure head, a movable valve member over which said pressure head reciprocates, said piston having a guide head and an intermediate portion spacing said guide head from the pressure head, spaced stationary guides for the guide head having a pocket therebetween,- a connecting rod pin operating in said pocket and a connecting rod on said pin and connected with the crank-shaft.

2. An internal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft and a piston having a pressure head, a movable valve member over which said pressure head reciprocates, said piston having a guide head and an intermediate portion spacing said guide head from the pressure head, spaced stationary guides for the guide head, said guide head fitting between said guides, and having parts at an angle to the guides wider than the space between the guides, a connecting rod pin through the wider part of the guide head, and a connecting rod on said pin and connec ed. i h. the cr nk-shaft.

. on sai iniaeia 3. An internal combustion engine com prising a crank-shaft, a piston having a pressure head, a cylinder in which said pressure head reci-procates, said piston having a guide head with opposed semi-cylindrical surfaces, a transversely wider part between ,said surfaces and an'intermediate portion between the pressure headand the guide head, a stationary guide member having semi-cyhndrical guide surfaces and constructed to form opposed pockets between the guide surfaces, a connecting rod pin through the wider part of the guide head extending beyond the radii of the semi-cylindrical pin and connected with the crankshaft.

4. An internal combustion engine com-' prising a crankshaft and a piston having a pressure head, a movable valve member over which said pressure head reciprocates, said piston having a guide head with. opposed semi-cylindrical surfaces,. a transversely wider part between said surfaces, and an intermediate portion between the pressure head-and the guide head, a stationary guide member having semi-cylindrical guide surfaces, and constructed to form opposed pockets between the guide surfaces, a connecting rod dpin through the wider part of the guide hea and a connecting rod on said pin and connected with the'crank-shaft.

5. An internal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft and a piston having a pressure. head, a movable valve member over which said pressure head reciprocates, said piston having a guide head with opposed semi-cylindrical surfaces, a transversely wider part between said surfaces, and an intermediate portion between the pressure head and the guide head, a stationaryguide member having semi-cylindrical guide surfaces, a connecting rod pin through the wider part of the guide head, and aconnecting rod on said pin and connected withthe crankshaft, and constructed to form opposed. pockets between the guide surfaces.

- I 6. An internal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft and a piston havmg apressure head, a movable sleeve valve within whlch sa1d pressure head reclprocates, sald sleeve valve having an outwardly projecting lug, said piston having a guide head with opposed semi-cylindrical surfaces of substantially the same diameter as that of the outside of the sleeve valve, a transversely wider part between said surfaces, and an intermediate portion between the pres sure head and the guide head, a stationary guide member having semi-cylindrical guide surfaces and constructed to form opposed pockets between the uide surfaces to form clearance spaces for t e wider part of the guide head and for the sleevevalve lug, a connecting rod pin through, the wider ide surfaces and a connecting rod the guide into the cylinder, a connecting part of the guide head, and a connecting rod on said pin and connected with the crank-shaft. v

7. An internal combustion engine com prising a crank-shaft and a piston havin a pressure head, amovable sleeve witnin which saidpressurehead reciprocates, said sleeve valve having an outwardly projecting lug, said piston having a guide head with opposed semi-cylindrical surfaces of substantially the same diameter as that of the outside of the "sleeve valve, a trans versely wider part between said surfaces, and an intermediate portionbetween the pressure head vand the guide head, a stationary guide member having semi-cylim drical guide surfaces and constructed to form opposed pockets between the, guide surfaces .to form clearance spaces for the wider part of the guide head and for the 85 sleeve valve lug, a connecting rod pin through the wider part of the guide head, and a connecting rod on said pm and connected'with the crank-shaft, said guide member and vguide head being arranged to separate the parts of the engine above and below the guide member. 8. An internal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft, a cylinder, a piston having a pressure head, a movable valve member within the cylinder against which said pressure head reciprocate's, said valve vmember having an outwardly projecting lug, said piston having a guide head 'of as large diameter as the outside of the valve member, a stationary ide member for the guide head constructe with a pocket therein providing clearance for the valve lug. when the valve member is inserted through rod pin in the guide head and'a connecting rod on said pin and engaged with the crank-shaft.

9. In an internal combustion engine, an operating cylinder and a relatively stationary guide, a piston having a pressure head operating within the cylinder. and a guide head spaced from the pressure head and operatin within the guide, a relatively short va ve member operating in the cylinder between the pressure head and cylinder wall and entirely above or be 0nd the guide head of the piston, a cran -shaft and a connecting rod connected between the guide head and said crank-shaft.

10. Aninternal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft and a piston having a pressure head, a cylinder in which said pressure head reoiprocates, said piston having a guide head with opposed semi-cylin- 25 drlcal surfaces, a transversely wider part between said surfaces, and an intermediate portion between the pressure head and the guide head, a stationary guide member having semi-cylindrical guide surfaces, and 30 head extending beyond the radius 0 constructed 'to form opposed pockets between the guide surfaces, a connecting rod pin through the wider part of the uhde e semi-cylindrical guide surfaces, and a connecting rod on said pin and connected with the "crank-shaft.

11. An internal combustion engine comprising a crank-shaft and a piston having a pressure head, a movable valve member against which said pressure head reciprocates, said valve member having. an outwardly projecting lug, said piston having a guide head of substantially the same diameter as that of the outside of the valve member, an intermediate portion between the pressure head and the guide head, a stationary guide member having a semicylindrical guide surface constructed with a pocket therein to form a clearance space for the sleeve lug to pass through in assembling the parts, a connecting rod pin through the guide head, and a connecting rod on said pin and connected with the crank-shaft.

12. An internal combustion engine, cemprising a crank shaft, a cylinder, movable valve means, within said cylinder, a piston having a pressure head reciprocating within said movable valve means, said piston having a guide head spaced from the pres- :sure head, and of greater diameter than said pressure head, and the cylinder having a gulde extension substantially equal in diameter to that part of the cylinder within wh1ch the valve means operates, said guide entension receiving the guide head of the piston, and being located beyond the valve means, said valve meansoperating in the cylinder above the guide extension, and be- 1n difterence in diameter between the pressure head, and the guide head of the piston and a connecting rod ivotally engaged with the guide head, anoF with the crank shaft.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of April, 1919.

' ALDEN n. OSBORN.

of a thickness to compensate for the 

